Ticket to Ride- LMS Steam gala at Barrow Hill Roundhouse

[kevsmiththai]

The last weekend of September saw yet another Barrow Hill Roundhouse spectacular. The event this time was christened ‘Ticket to ride’ and was a celebration of all thing LMS (London Midland and Scottish) steam.

 

The line up was ambitious and in the event not everything turned up but present were the following locomotives either in steam or static

 

Star of the show was 46233 Duchess of Sutherland , Stanier’s masterpiece and the zenith of LMS passenger train power. This is probably its last appearance in British railways green prior to a repaint back into LMS red. These Pacifics were classified 8P in the LMS rating system.

 

 

Marking the first appearance of an Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 at the roundhouse (MT denotes Mixed traffic) was 43106 on loan from The Severn Valley Railway. Event Sponsors ‘The Railway Magazine’ paid for the transportation costs to get it to the gala. These engines were a common sight on the colliery lines spread around Barrow Hill in the late fifties and early sixties. These were commonly nicknamed ‘Mucky Ducks’ locally or ‘Flying Pigs’ in other parts of the country.

 

 

Also running at the weekend was old favourite ‘Jubilee’ class 5XP 4-6-0 no. 45690 Leander still sporting its unusual BR Mixed traffic livery and one of the ubiquitous Black 5 4-6-which were a very common sight with 842 being built in total and a staggering 18 surviving into preservation. 45305 was running but the expected sister engine 45337 didn’t make it sadly.

 

 

8F 2-8-0 8274 also were built in large numbers with 852 being built, not only for the LMS but also for the War Department. These saw active use all over Europe and the Middle East and 8274 was originally supplied to Turkey to become TCCD 45160. It was repatriated in 1989 and was the subject of a very interesting documentary on British TV about the effort to return it to the U.K

 

 

More soon including a look at the 'new build' Patriot class 4-6-0

 

Kev

 

 

 

[kevsmiththai]

Arranged around the turntable were National Collection Midland Compound 4-4-0 no 1000 and Stanier 2-6-4T 2500, Midland (Half cab) 1F 0-6-0T 41708 and Jinty 0-6-0T 47406 and tucked in the corner Vulcan a small industrial 0-4-0ST

 

 

Outside working one end of the passenger shuttle trains was ex Lancashire and Yorkshire railway Aspinall 0-6-0 in its LMS livery as 12322

 

 

Star of the show for me though was the presence of New Build Patriot class 6P5F 4-6-0 no 45551 ‘The Unknown warrior’ None of the original class of 52 survived scrapping and they were regarded as the missing link in LMS locomotive design but spurred on by the success of the new build Peppercorn Pacific project this highly motivated group have already got to the stage seen below with many tender and boiler parts already stockpiled. To be honest I had been at the show for three days before I realised that one side was painted BR green and the other side LMS red!

 

 

On the other side of the turntable were a couple of Interlopers Great Western  51xx 2-6-2T and a Great Eastern J17 0-6-0

 

[kevsmiththai]

https://youtu.be/UXZA6bZQp0Y

 

Video shows the postioning and coaling of the locos  prior to the opening to the public on Friday. A behind the scenes glimps at only a small part of the effort needed to put on a show like this

 

cheers

 

Kev

[cteno4]

Now that was fun to watch! Thanks kevin

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff